The present invention relates to the field of solar energy for home heat and cooling, and more particularly to a solar energy system for adding to and supplementing home heating where a fossil fuel furnace is connected to an air duct system that extends throughout the house, and the present invention also relates to a particular solar heat collector, as well as to a solar energy cooling system that may be added to an existing structure of the type noted.
Solar energy systems have been proposed for use in connection with the heating and, in addition, the cooling of structures such as houses for many decades, and in the past decade, activity along this line has been greatly accelerated. Few of the proposals which have gone before have, however, addressed themselves to the utilization of solar energy by a construction which can be accomplished using, primarily, readily available parts and tools, so that in the past, many of the proposals have required that a significant part of the construction thereof be of factory provided components. Further, the known constructions have not provided a construction which could be readily added to existing fossil fuel furnace and air duct system constructions.
In one known construction in the prior art, a solar collector was utilized for heating air, which was then passed through an air duct to the furnace, so as to be introduced into the inlet of the supply duct system of the house. This system was not adaptable to existing structures because of the need to add a large duct extending from the heat collector to the furnace, which were usually arranged on the roof, and in the basement, respectively.
In another prior art suggestion, it was proposed to provide a solar energy collector on the roof, for heating water, which was delivered to a tank, so as to heat water in the tank; the water in the tank was circulated to a heat exchanger, broadly suggested as being located in or adjacent the furnace, but without any specific suggestion of the interrelationship between the heat exchanger and the furnace.
In another prior art suggestion, a solar heater was used to provide heat to the water in a tank, and additional air ducts were extended from the furnace around the tank, so as to pick up the heat from the water in the tank, thereby requiring extensive additional ducting.
In connection with known solar energy collectors, while the prior art has suggested reflector channels in which a fluid conduit was positioned, the suggestions in the prior art have not been of constructions which could be readily made without requiring unusual skill, equipment, or parts.
Among the objects of the present invention are to provide a solar energy system which may be added to existing houses which have a fossil fuel furnace and an air duct system, and to provide such a system which, when installed, may be readily converted so as to utilize either solar energy, if available, or fossil fuel energy.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of an auxiliary or additional solar energy system of the kind described, which can be fabricated without requiring expensive tools, or parts which are required to be manufactured in a factory-type installation.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a solar energy collector which is efficient in operation, simple to make, and which can be fabricated from conventional and readily available tools and parts.
Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of a cooling system adjunct for a house for enabling the system to be constructed and installed utilizing conventional cooling, and requiring only the acquisition of an absorption type refringeration system.